


You Aren't Stupid

by localtitan



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Agender Hange Zoë, Angst, Autism, Fluff, JFC, M/M, Minor Character Death, POV Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Slurs, autism slurs, autistic Eren, ereri, fem!Nanaba, i need to write my fic in daylight.. not at 3am to 5am, riren - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-09
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-04-08 11:31:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4303218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/localtitan/pseuds/localtitan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren struggles with daily chores of going out to the store and remembering what all to buy, struggles to remember faces, and struggles with day-to-day happenings because many people cannot bring themselves to leave other people with autism alone. He is fortunately accompanied by Levi, who acts like an older brother, and watches over him.<br/>Levi, although his cold and intimidating exterior scares away most people, is found to be a big softy for Eren and finds himself eventually developing feelings for him. Levi only wants what is best for Eren, and he isn't sure if romance is something Eren wants or needs in his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> adjflsdjflskadjflkasdj typos. typos everywhere.

Eren's tears stained my clothes as I held him close in my arms. His sobs made my heart ache and his pain could be felt even if I wasn't the one in his position. All I could do was run my fingers through his silky brown hair, a technique that seemed to calm him down quickly. "B-But Levi... Levi... Levi, they-they wouldn't stop!" Eren squeaked out, "They kept saying the reason I didn't graduate high school until I was 21 was because I was stupid! They said I was stupid, Levi! I'm not smart like everyone else. I'm not.. I'm not smart. I'm not smart." He repeated words often, which never was a problem with me since it was him. It could get annoying once in a while just because I lost patience from time to time. Fuck-- I'm human, alright? I get annoyed just like anyone else. 

I rubbed his back with my other hand, arms wrapped tightly around the boy. "Shh... Shh..." I softly hushed, letting Eren vent everything out. Stopping him during the middle of his vent wouldn't be good; I knew better than doing that. Even if his words were terribly shitty toward himself, I had to let him say it. It was the only way Eren could vent and I was his oral diary. I was there to hear him out, listen to every word he said because each one was important to me, and so he knows that at least one person in the world knows he is far from stupid.  
"They-They said.. They said that I'm retarded and I won't be able to survive on my own. That I'd let myself die off because I don't know any better." Eren sobbed again, "I'm so stupid, Levi! I'm retarded! Tell me, Levi. Am I retarded? Are they right?" The anger boiled inside me towards the people who said this to him. Fucking assholes deserve the shit beat out of them. Seeing Eren so broken only rekindled the wrath I had for fucking morons like them. 

"Eren," I started, lowering my voice so it was soothing and calming for him, "Look at me." I pulled away slightly so the brown-haired boy could look up. The area around his eyes were pink, along with his nose, and tears kept slipping out. His bottom lip quivered and it almost made me feel a lump in my throat. Those sea-green eyes poured out every emotion he felt and every time I looked into those eyes, my heart dropped. I kept my expression soft, although deep inside I was almost as broken as he was. 

"Listen, Eren," I tried again, this time brushing a strand of hair out of his eyes, "You aren't stupid. You can list off every state capitol, you can tell me the answer to any math problem and it would be correct, you can look at any dog and know exactly what breed they are and what mixture the hybrids are, and you can state every fact known about Doctor Who. I'm sure that stupid people wouldn't be able to do that, right?" I smiled softly at him. Eren sniffled, but tears kept streaming. I saw a smile curl up on Eren's lips as he listened, "You know those people saying mean shit are the ones that are stupid. So what if you stayed in school longer? You had a larger amount of education than any of them had. They are jealous, Eren. Remember? People are only mean to you because they are jealous. They wish they were you. They wish they were as smart as you." At this point, my hands gripped firmly onto the boy's shoulders. 

Eren giggled softly, carelessly wiping his nose on his long sleeve. I watched in disgust and crinkled my nose, "Hey, brat, what did I tell you about doing that to your clothes? It's filthy now. Go change." I saw Eren giggle even more at the response and it made me smile back. Seeing that smile was worth more than anything in the world. If I was able to do that every day forever, I think I would. Fuck that. God damn it, Levi. You know better than this. Love leads to broken hearts. 

"You're right, Levi. You are right. Not many people can list off every state capitol, can they? I'm smart. They're stupid. Right? They are the stupid ones. They can't do what I can. I am very smart." Eren nodded to himself, reassured by my words. My heart swelled and I ruffled his hair softly like I always did. I loved that boy's soft hair that seemed more like a shaggy mop than anything else. 

"Eren. Go change your shirt." I said and watched him stand up from the couch and scamper into his own bedroom to change. I sighed out, letting the stresses from the recent vent flow out of my lungs. God damn assholes hurting my brat like this... If I could meet them, I'd make sure they'd end up in the fucking hospital. Such bullshit. The kid was doing his best and people had to shit on him. Who in their right mind would dare want to make him cry like that? Poor kid. 

Eren came out with a red long-sleeved shirt and I raised a brow, "What about the dirty shirt? Did you put it in the hamper like I told you to do with your dirty clothes?" I asked, to make sure Eren did as he told. Eren smiled shyly, meaning he was guilty. I gave him a pointed look, "Go put it in the hamper." I couldn't help but smile. For some odd reason, I actually enjoyed watching over and taking care of Eren. No matter how much it could be a burden to other people, it was never a burden for me and I never grew tired of it. He made life seem okay enough to stay curious, and he taught me many things that I should appreciate in life, and also taught me that life is too short to not have fun and enjoy for myself. 

"I did it, Levi. I did what-I did what you said." Eren came out again, smiling, waiting to hear praise. 

"Good job. I'm proud of you," I ruffled his hair again, despite the height difference, "Now follow me. We need to do something about your face. You look like a sad puppy that has been left outside in the rain." I turned on the bathroom sink and grabbed a soft wash cloth, dampening the material, and blotted Eren's face gently. I couldn't help but give him a smile as I cleaned him up. "You always make me proud, Eren. You know that? I've never been more proud of you. You are so good at everything you do and you never fail to make people happy." I spoke softly. 

Again, I got to see Eren smile widely, his teeth showing. It was a crooked smile, but I adored it nonetheless. Any smile from him was one worth working blood, sweat, and tears for. 

For the rest of the day, since I had a day off of work and Eren was off for the day at his job, we decided to take our mind off of things and went out to eat. I planned on a movie night with him afterward, but that was a surprise. If I told him right away, he'd get too excited and not eat properly, so it was best to wait. Eren loved movie nights and did anything he could to have one. I didn't allow it too much, just because he would make a mess of popcorn. I hate popcorn for that reason. No matter how careful a person is, popcorn will somehow end up in the couch cushions, on the floor, and in your clothing. I could have sworn that it kept reproducing when we did have popcorn.

"Can I get chocolate milk?" Eren looked up at me with his bright green eyes, batting his eyelashes, as if begging me to say yes. 

"If I let you have that, will you eat all of the vegetables on your plate? I will only let you have the chocolate milk if you eat your veggies." I gave him a stern look. My tone was firm, but I never acted mean or rude toward him. People around always assumed I was rude because I apparently give off an aura says "Fuck off or you die," shit and honestly... it's kind of true. I don't give much of a shit about people I don't know or like. The only person I do give a shit about is the person that is sitting before me, tapping his fingers anxiously on the table, thinking through the deal I made. 

"Okay! Yes! I will, Levi. I promise. I will-I will eat the veggies." Eren bit his bottom lip, holding in his excitement. Who ever knew that chocolate milk could make a twenty-two year old's night? It was endearing to see him practically bounce in his seat from excitement. 

I ordered the meals for the both of us, making it easier on Eren. As the waitress asked what we wanted to drink, I opened my mouth to speak, "I'll have-"

"I want a chocolate milk, please! And a bendy straw, if you have those, please!" Eren grinned, his eyes glistening from the dim lights, "A-And, Levi wants the- Levi wants his bland green tea with no sugar." Eren glanced back at me to seek approval. 

I nodded, crossing one leg over the other and folding my arms, "You remembered my favorite bland drink, brat." My lips curled into a small smile. 

Eren giggled and spoke loudly, "Of course I remembered, Levi! I-"

"Shh..." I put my finger to my lips, telling him to tone down his voice, "Indoor voice."

"Right, I'm sorry Levi." Eren whispered and kept whispering loudly, "Of course I remembered your drink! You get it all of the time."

I couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, "Oh really? What else do you remember about me?" I couldn't resist, okay? I wanted to know what stood out about me to Eren. 

Eren furrowed his brows, thinking quietly. I could tell the wheels in his head were turning and I watched him intently. "I remember that you hold every cup and glass by the- the top part instead of the side-thing like everyone else! I remember that you don't like dirty places and stuff. You like being quiet and having the house quiet. You hate public restrooms. You like to- You like to read science fiction novels! You also like to make me happy and make sure that I smile when I get sad." Eren listed and became distracted when his chocolate milk came to the table.  
I felt my cheeks heat up at the things he remembered. It was the small things he cared about and liked to focus on, which really meant a lot more to me the bigger things that I did. Eren observed what I did more than I expected. My thoughts focused back onto Eren, who started drink his milk down until it was halfway gone. 

"Slow down, Eren. Don't you want to save some for dinner?" 

Eren stopped and pulled away from the glass, "Oh yeah." He smiled sheepishly and nodded. 

The dinner was calming and quite relaxing for the both of us. We shared our food, tasting each other's side dishes. Eren was often a bit of a messy eater, even if he tries to be careful, so I often had to take a napkin and wipe his cheek every now and then. Eren smiled each time, and often put a spot on his face on purpose, just to have me clean it. Eren may act like he didn't know any better, but he was sneaky. He knew I hated being dirty and sticky, so making himself dirty was his way of playing just to watch my reactions. Each time, I would be annoyed and angry, which he seemed to enjoy a bit too much. I didn't mind. It made him smile, so if that was what made him smile and if it cheered him up, then so be it. 

"You never answered my question." Eren looked at me with a serious expression.

I blinked at him, slightly confused, "Well, what is the question?"

"Am I retarded?" 

I bit on my lower lip, chewing on it slowly as I tried to think of the right words. How was one to respond to something like this? I kept a neutral expression and sighed despite I internally panicked to think up a good response. Eren's eyes nearly burned into my soul, waiting for an answer. What was I to say? "Of course not, Eren. You aren't retarded. You are just a little different than some people. It is a good different. I love it." I wiped his cheek again from some sauce that splattered on it.  
Eren didn't seem satisfied and he kept quiet, finishing his food while I also ate in peace and quiet. 

After dinner, I brought Eren back to our home, and I smirked almost evilly since I knew how happy Eren would be, "I have a surprise for tonight..." 

Eren's ears perked up and he looked at me with an eager gaze, "A surprise? What is it?" He pushed me against the wall because of his excitement. I loved the kid to death, but he seriously needed to tone down on his roughness in the house. 

I hummed quietly, gently pushing Eren back a few steps so I could slide my jacket off, then hang it on the coat hanger, "But it's a surprise. Go sit in the living room and you'll find out." I looked over at the couch and gave him a challenging look. 

Of course, he sat on the couch obediently, waiting for me to come out with some surprise. Cute kid. Quietly, I padded into the kitchen and put a package of popcorn into the microwave. At the sound of the first kernel being popped, I heard a loud gasp and feet trample over to the counter, "Levi! This is- This is going to be.. This is going to be a movie night?!" Ah, yes. Here comes the Happy Hurricane. The boy was nearly shaking with extreme excitement and happiness. I couldn't help but feel my heart leap as he was so happy just to watch a movie and eat popcorn. Eren ran around to go inside the kitchen and hugged me tightly. I stiffened a little and wheezed, "E-Eren... not too tight! I need to breathe-" I chuckled, Eren then letting go and apologizing sweetly.

"Go find a movie on Netflix." I brought the popcorn out for both of us and took my seat. 

I sat down right beside Eren, sharing popcorn with him. Eren shoved popcorn into his mouth, and I started watching him more than I did the movie. It's difficult for me to explain, and I'm not sure that I could explain why I was deeply interested in Eren. It could be that he was always so thoughtful and sweet. He's never forgotten anything about me and he always knows how to cheer me up after a bad day at work. Fucking hell. He can cheer me up with just his fucking smile. With my luck, Eren was probably some damn witch that has already cast a spell on me to make me happy whenever I see him. I need to stop these thoughts about him. It's probably getting creepy, I think. Hell, I know I would be a bit freaked if someone thought like this of me - unless it was Eren who thought this. I wouldn't have a problem then. In fact, I would probably encourage him. Wait, stop it, Levi. Christ.. Fucking idiot, I am.

"Thank you, Levi." Eren turned his head to look at me. I swore my heart was thumping louder than the volume of the movie, so I turned it up a couple notches louder. "This means the world to me! I promise- I promise one day, Levi... One day I will repay you for doing all of these things for me. I promise." He smiled at me with those big doe-like green eyes. I hate Eren for letting him do this to me, even though I should blame myself. God damn him and his perfect smile and his bright eyes. 

"Don't worry, Eren. Maybe someday you will repay me." With a kiss, maybe? Easier said than done. Eren never was interested in anyone before. He never talked to me about any crushes he had or what kind of people he was attracted to. Hell, I didn't know if he was straight. I wondered if maybe he was aromantic/asexual... but I didn't bother to ask. Maybe he's just very shy about it. I'll put it down on my bucket list to ask him sometime. 

"No, Levi. I will repay you. I promise."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Problem in the pet store for Eren and Levi has to step in a couple times to keep him calm and safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hange makes an appearance! As well as small appearances of others. <3 Agender!Hange !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, and Nanaba is female. <3 !!!!!!!!!!!! and also I did some editing. I will edit the first one. And then start the third. Oh boy. Many apologies for like abandoning this for a year. Gotta love that good ol' Depression™. Plus I'm trying to get my life in order. hhhhhhhhhhh!! I'm t ry ingggg *rip in peace*

"Remember, Eren, keep that pretty smile of yours on. You have to make sure that not only are the animals happy, but that the customers are happy, too." I straightened his shirt and fixed his hair while I had the car parked in front of the pet store. Eren gave me that same smile he always gives when I drop him off to work. "Have a good day at work." 

Eren nodded, "Okay, Levi! How is this smile?" He grinned at me with his eyes shut and gave me the cheesiest smile possible. It was almost terrifying, but it definitely made me smile back at him. It pinched his cheek and shook my head at him, shaking off his silliness. 

"Perfect, you brat. Now go before you're late, and more importantly before I am late." I shooed him off and watched Eren hop out of the car and scurry under the onning. The sky was dark and it was a little misty, weather I absolutely loved, and Eren didn't mind it either if there wasn't any thunder or lightning. My attention was caught back to the green-eyed male who waved a small goodbye wave. I waved back and put my car in reverse, driving to my own workplace. 

 

I stepped into my office, hung my coat on the coat rack, and sat in my chair. I had a few minutes before my first client. Honestly, doing my job was a piece of cake, and I enjoyed the people I talk to and listen to. My job focuses on being a therapist for troubled teenagers, but more parents started bringing their troubled kids with autism in. I guess the word got around that I work very well with them and I'm some kind of 'genius at work' with them. Whatever the fuck that means. 

Just because I'm good with them, it doesn't mean I'm good with everyone. The kids that come here are actually very decent towards me. There are few that aren't so great at first, but only because they thought no one listened to them. Until they realized that I am someone that will listen to them, they simmered down their attitude and opened up to me. I don't just shit out words to make them feel like they are being listened to. I make sure they know I listen to them. The people that I don't listen to are the people that work here. All they fucking care about is their money and they don't bother with the kids or try to help them. 

"What do you want, Shitty Glasses?" I muttered as I heard the mouth-breather enter my office. Hange was one of the two only people in this damn place that were decent enough to talk to. They folded their hands and looked at me with a wide grin. Honestly, I wanted to shove my whole foot in their mouth to stop that shitty smile. That smile definitely meant they were going to say something obnoxious. Usually. 

"Levi! Your favorite client is here for you now. Did you want her to come in or do you still need a few minutes?" They said to me excitedly. 

"Favorite client? Hange, you know I don't have-"

"It's Isabel!" They squealed happily. 

Isabel? I haven't seen her in three years. I heard she moved away because her parents didn't like the way I helped her. I suppose now that she's older, she wanted to come back for help and to get her life back on track. I perked up and my eyes brightened. Fuck hiding my emotions. Isabel actually was my favorite and I can't lie about that. She certainly was a kid that I enjoyed listening to and talking to. "Bring her in. I don't need anymore time to myself." Hange immediately motioned for her to walk in. Isabel walked into the office, shyly thanking Hange for their time. 

As soon as the door shut behind Isabel and it was just her and I, I stood up and gave her a hug, "Isabel, you're all grown up now," I pulled away and looked at her. She grew taller... Taller than me, but I wasn't going to mention that. "How are you doing? Take a seat."

The session was more based off of catching up and how things were going with our lives. She asked about Eren and wondered if he was doing okay, which made me smile. It would be a nice little message to give to Eren, that a friend asked about him and thought about him. Hell, it'd probably make his whole week. Isabel was very similar to Eren in their level of autism. She often repeated things she said. Of course, I didn't mind. She wasn't as severe in the autism spectrum, but definitely needed someone to talk to that would listen to her instead of her parents being complete dicks.

Her story is based off of neglect and her parents treating her like some neanderthal that couldn't understand common sense and basic skills to live. She was nothing close to what her parents thought of her as. I found out she is going to college now, studying to be a veterinarian. I nodded and smiled, "Impressive, Isabel. I am glad to see you doing so well. What other goals do you have in the near future that you'll accomplish?" My eyes softened and my typical hardened exterior broke down. During most sessions, I seem to have this scary aura, but I welcomed a warmer aura only to my clients. But... Isabel, I can basically show her my vulnerable heart and let her know anything about me. I loved her that much.   
The session we had ended almost too quickly, but I did have another client to see in the next ten minutes. I bid a farewell to Isabel, hoping she'll see me again soon. That girl could brighten anyone's day with her humor and her scintillating personality that I adored so much. If only all of my clients were like that. Damn, I'd be the happiest person alive. Instead, I have to deal with fuckwads like Nanaba, my assistant. She really isn't necessary, and is only useful when I need more tea or I need them to take over my spot if something happens. Her attitude is the worst and I hate that she's my assistant. She's so fucking incompetent and she probably spits in my tea whenever I ask for some. 

Anyway, I scrolled through my phone checking E-mails. As I started reading through the newsletter for my favorite clothing store, my screen went to a "Receiving Phone Call" message. I furrowed my brows and checked the familiar number. Hell. It was Eren's work. Whenever I received calls like this, it most likely meant that something bad happened. I knew that when I answered, I'd have to leave work and go check on Eren. If I didn't answer, I could keep going with my hours and get more money -- but that would be an asshole thing to do. I'm not like the other fucking shitheads that can't seem to wrap their heads around that fact that life isn't always about money. 

"Hello?" I answered the call. 

"Hello, Levi, this is Sasha Braus calling about Eren. Are you able to come to the store?" Sasha's voice was filled with worry and I heard yelling in the background and sobbing. 

My heart raced and I nodded, although it was obvious Sasha couldn't see me, "Uh, yeah. I'll be there right away." I stopped by Nanaba, ignoring her shitty attitude. 

"What? Playing hooky again? Don't tell me it's Eren..." She smirked, "When will you stop using the same excuse to leave? You'll lose your clients if you keep doing this."

"Shut the fuck up. Take over on the rest of the clients. There are only three more for today. I have to go." I left without another word and dashed out to my car. 

Within minutes, I arrived to the pet store and I entered. All I heard was chaos and I sighed, knowing exactly what was happening. I ran a hand through my hair and I walked through the aisles and found employees trying to hold Eren down from hurting himself. "Where is Levi! I need Levi! Let go of me!" Eren cried, sobbing under their grasp. He was terrified and confused as to why he was being held down. I stood there in horror, shocked by the sight. What did Eren do to cause this? "Stop touching me! Stop yelling! Stop!" The boy yanked his limbs back, trying to free himself. 

I ran over to them and pushed the employees out of my way. I knelt down beside Eren and cupped his cheeks with my hands to show him I was there. I grabbed his hand and placed it on my arm so he knew I was physically there and nothing bad would happen. "Eren," I spoke softly, "What's wrong?" 

Eren broke down in my arms and he sobbed, showing his hand to me. It was bleeding and teeth marks were obvious. The flesh was torn up a bit. To be honest, I didn't blame Eren for lashing out at the employees. "The big collie- The big collie over there.." He mumbled, "H-He bit me.." 

I held his injured hand and I moved my hand over to run my fingers through his hair, "It's okay, Eren. We'll clean this up, alright? The dog won't hurt you. He didn't mean it. No one is going to hurt you. It isn't your fault." I assured him, talking in the typical soothing voice I used on him and him only. 

The employees around me stood in shock, unable to believe how Eren calmed down so quickly at the sight of me. It was like putting out a gigantic forest fire that happened to be in the store. I looked up at the employees with my cold silvery eyes, "Do you guys not understand that manhandling him is probably one of the worst shit things you can do?!" I lashed out at them, anger boiling, "Instead of scaring him by tearing his limbs apart, how about you try listening to him and let him speak instead of holding him down?!" I had no tolerance for stupid people. What they did was bullshit and I'm not letting that slide. 

"It wasn't our fault, Levi! He was having a tantrum, and we were scared he would.. harm someone.. or an animal," a very tall employee named Bertoldt explained, trembling under my gaze. 

"Eren can't hurt a fucking fly. You know that." My words dripped with acid, "Go the fuck back to work and let me take care of this." I snapped. The employees scurried away to go do their jobs while my attention focused back to Eren, who was trembling on the floor beside me. "Eren, let's get this cleaned up, okay?" I stood up and helped Eren back to the bathroom and cleaned the wound quietly. Normally I wouldn't carry around a lame-ass messenger bag, but with Eren, it was a necessity. He was accident-prone and I had to keep a first-aid kit in there just in case things like this happened.  
Eren flinched at the burning of the hydrogen peroxide being poured on the bite, "Don't worry, Eren. It will help it heal, okay?"

"It hurts, Levi! I don't like it." Eren pouted, trying to pull his hand away. 

"Shh... It's okay. I'm done. No more pain." I looked up at him, giving him eye contact, "No more, okay?" I set the bottle of peroxide down and took some ointment, "This won't hurt. It will make it feel better." I explained, "This will make the pain go away. See?" Levi spread the ointment on the open wound. Eren's muscles stiffened until the pain finally decreased and he let out a breath of relief. A small smile curled on his lips. He seemed satisfied that the pain ceased and he seemed to calm down completely. 

"I-I was feeding the dogs, Levi. I was feeding them and... and the collie, Sheila.. I tried petting her and she bit me.." Eren explained, "I didn't do anything wrong. I just wanted to feel her fur and she bit me."

I packed up the kit after bandaging up the wound as I listened to Eren. Realizing Eren's mistake I patted him gently on the back, "Next time, stay away from the dogs until they are done eating. They don't like being bothered when they eat." I stated firmly. So Eren could understand better, I made an analogy. "Remember how you don't like me interrupting you when you are taking a nap and you get angry? It's like that. You don't want to bother them when they eat." 

Eren made an 'o' shape with his mouth, understanding it a little more, "So they get grumpy and mad because they want to eat. Like you when you read a book, right?" He gave me a questioning look, making sure he understood it correctly by thinking of a different analogy. 

I smiled, "Exactly, Eren! That's right. So remember, don't bother them when they eat, okay?" I patted his cheek, "Go back to work and I'll pick you up at eight." I gave him a comforting hug and left without another word, but waved at him before leaving the store, giving the other employees death glares. Assholes. 

 

The rest of the day at work, I finished off the last two clients, and tried avoiding Nanaba and her stupid-ass comments. I really should request Hange for a new assistant, but the fact that I'd have to train a new assistant really annoyed me, so I dealt with Nanaba. (I get lazy, too, alright? I know that it'd be better off training someone else, but... the effort.)

I picked Eren up from work and stopped by a Subway to grab a couple sandwiches. We sat in the restaurant and Eren talked about his day, retelling me the whole story about Sheila, the collie, and telling me about some hamsters that kept running in their wheel for the whole day. I smiled and laughed lightly at some of the things Eren talked about and described. His way of telling stories warmed my heart and made each day a little better after having to listen to sob stories from some kids (don't get me wrong, I love them. Just some days... It can really get to be a pain). 

"The ferrets were playing a lot today! I held one and he cuddled with me. It was really cute, Levi! The ferret reminded me.. The ferret reminded me of you! All cute and sometimes angry-looking." Eren giggled, "And small. You are so short." 

I grunted and glared at the brown-haired brat, "And what are you? A giraffe?" I placed a napkin on my lap to make sure not to make a mess, "Don't forget your napkin, Eren." 

Eren giggled even more and nodded, putting the napkin on his lap, "You're a little ferret... You're a little ferret and I'm- I'm a.. a giraffe." Those bright green eyes shined again and I couldn't help but giggle with him. I kicked Eren softly, not hard enough to hurt him, but enough to let him know he was being a little shit. 

"Oi, brat, wipe your mouth or I won't let you eat ever again." I playfully threatened. It was cute seeing Eren's over-dramatic facial reactions. His eyes grew three times their size and he gasped, taking another napkin and wiping the mustard off of his mouth. A small smile happened to find its way to my lips again and I couldn't hide it, no matter how much I wanted it to go away. Eren sipped on some water and he stared at me, his head slightly tilted to the left. I raised a brow and wiped my mouth with my napkin, "What is it, brat?"

He blessed me with another toothy grin, "Nothing, Levi. I was just watching you." I gave him a questioning look but I said nothing in return. It wasn't the first time he watched me do simple tasks like eating. I didn't mind. Knowing he had his full attention on me made my heart swell a little more. 

"I love you, Levi. You're my best friend." He interrupted the silence we had for a few minutes. 

My eyes widened at the first three words. Eren's never actually said those words before and I bit back from smiling. I would be lying if I said I didn't love him, or that he wasn't my best friend. He really was. He was the only person that made me feel alive. He was my home, and I wanted Eren to see how important he was to me. I wanted to tell him how much he really meant to me, but I was scared. I was scared of facing reality and scaring Eren away. 

I eventually responded with a small eye smile and I finished the last bite of my sandwich, drinking it down with some more tea. "I love you too, brat." I grinned, "You're my best brat." Eren laughed loudly at my comment and his cheeks reddened slightly. I wasn't sure whether it was from laughing or just from the confession that he really cared about me as much as I did him. Of course I should have known he cared for me a lot. All he would do is call for me whenever he was in trouble and begged to know where I was if he didn't know what happened to me. He'd be lost without me, and knowing that almost scared me. I was scared of losing Eren and him running away. It was my biggest fear. 

Plus, the addition of Eren caring for me.. that if I seemed even a bit sad or upset, he'd make sure to turn that around so I was somehow laughing and smiling. I still sometimes think he is a witch, because not even shitty four-eyes Hange can make me smile like Eren. Hange was nearly as close as a friend as Eren was, but not not quite. They still annoyed me and they never knew when to stop bugging me, unlike Eren. He knew his limits, which I was grateful for. 

"Thank you, Levi. For helping me again." Eren sighed sadly, bottom lip pouted and gaze pointed downward, "I feel like I can't do anything right and you always have to help me." He looked down at his empty sandwich wrapper and his lip quivered like it always did when he was upset. 

My heart nearly broke again and I picked up our trash, "Eren, you are wonderful and you are perfect. Just because I help you sometimes, it doesn't make you any less perfect. I'm happy to help you." I ruffled his hair and dumped out trash into the garbage bin. The boy followed me back to the car quietly. Eren being silent meant either one of two things. He was either very upset and sad, or he was planning something. Curious, I spoke up, "Eren, are you okay?" 

My eyes met Eren's emerald-like eyes and I could have sworn time stopped for a few seconds. He nodded, "I promise Levi. I still promise that I will repay you. One day... I will have enough money and pay you back for everything you did for me." 

I swallowed thickly, "Eren.. Shh. You don't have to repay me with your well-deserved money that you worked for - for yourself. I'm not going to take that. Just stay by my side and don't run off, Eren. That's all I ask for." Eren sighed loudly and looked out of the car window, not satisfied with my answer. I ruffled his hair again, making the brunet smile again, "Smiling, too. Smile for me more, Eren. You have a great smile." I drove us back home through the heavy rain, unable to keep myself from smiling afterward. That damn brat needs to either get rid of this spell he cast on me or do something to make sure I'm not dreaming. 

 

Watching television together, I snapped my head over to look at the window and saw lightning. My eyes widened and I wrapped my arms around Eren tightly. Thunder cracked loudly and Eren nearly jumped out of my grasp, terrified. "I-It's okay, Eren! I'm here.." I spoke to him soothingly. He struggled in my grasp, panicking. I let go slightly and I began stroking my fingers through his hair, while my other hand held his. I massaged one of his knuckles with my thumb soothingly, "It's just a thunderstorm. take my blanket," I wrapped it around him and dashed over to the blinds, closing them to take away the lightning that scared Eren. 

"Levi, Levi... Levi.." Eren tried to muster up a sentence, but kept stuttering. 

"Yes, Eren?" I encouraged him to keep going, keeping my voice quiet and calm.

"Levi, there won't be a tornado, right?" Eren was nearly trembling in fear. I sat down beside him and held him close to me, closing my eyes.

"No tornado. You need to stop watching those movies and documentaries about those. Soon you'll wonder if a volcano is going to magically appear in the center of the city." I teased, my eyes giving off a glimpse of amusement.

Eren relaxed, "Well, duh, Levi. Everyone knows that volcanoes can't magically appear. You would have to go to Hawaii or something." He stated factually. 

"Well tell me more about volcanoes, then," I smiled warmly, hugging Eren to comfort him. He seemed to relax with the contact and the distraction I gave him.  
Soon he began telling me every little known fact about volcanoes and where all of them were in the world. He told me about which ones where the most active and which have been dormant for the last however many years. I seriously wondered why he thought himself as being stupid. This kid (he may only be five years younger than me, but I still call him kid, alright), knew more about Earth science than anyone else, I swear. But, that's the thing. I ask him questions that relate to the topics he loves the most. Then, he tells me all about them. No more fear about the storms. Simple, yes, but it worked and seeing Eren so scared wasn't something I enjoyed seeing. At all. 

As the storm dissipated, so did Eren's consciousness and he fell asleep as he kept stating facts, trailing off into some dreamland. I smiled softly and carefully parted away from him. One good thing about Eren sleeping, when he was out, he was out like a rock and it was hard to wake him up (sometimes a bad thing when it came to getting up for work). 

I tucked Eren into his bed and closed the blinds, just in case any other storms rolled through for the night. I checked on him once more before placing a gentle kiss on his forehead and shutting off his lamplight, "Good night, Eren. Sweet dreams." I close the door half-way, just how he liked it, and I went to my own bedroom, drifting into a deep comfortable sleep. Probably smiling. I need to stop this smiling. It's freaking me out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter wasn't too boring for you. Let me know your thoughts on it, please! I'd like feedback to see how this is going and if there is something you might want in this story, send me a message or write a comment! I'm very open to anything! <3 Thank you!


	3. Lmao soz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i am so sorry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> F u c k

Laptop is fucked. It crashed when I was typing the story and I lost all my new material. I now have no laptop and I deeply apologize for those looking forward to the next chapters. ;~; Once I get a laptop again, I'll work on it once more (third times a charm?) *s i g h* 

and I totally could have updated about this a long time ago but I hated to sound like I'm trying to keep putting it off and making y'all wait for nothing. 3 But alas, I must at least give some sort of update as to what the fuck is going on. hhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Sorry! I'm not sure when I'll be able to afford a computer again.. 

Rip in pieces.


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